Category Archives: Quick and Easy

Besides taste and minimal ingredients, Shepherd’s Pie has always been a family favorite because of what a compact meal it is, making serving and clean-up a cinch. Now, with a few changes, it’s ease of prep makes it even better. The instructions for the simplified version are in the Tex-Mex variation below the Basic recipe.

This is not gourmet food, but it’s comfort food that does taste amazing. 🙂

The Basics:

For those unfamiliar with Shepherd’s Pie, it is a casserole consisting of a base layer of ground beef, then corn and/or carrots (we just use corn) and topped with mashed potatoes.

Basic Shepherd’s Pie

Guidelines for Basic Proportions:

Basic Directions:

1. Potatoes: if you are using whole potatoes, peel, cut in cubes, and boil in seasoned water till fork tender. Drain and mash as normal, adding milk if desired for fluffier potatoes.
2. Brown gound beef with a little oil until no longer pink, seasoning to taste with salt and pepper.

Assembly:

1. Place ground beef in bottom of casserole dish.

2. Layer corn on ground beef and sprinkle with salt.

3. Top with mashed potatoes evenly spread out.

4. Bake in 350F oven for 30-45 minutes corn to be heated through (if using canned) or cooked (if using fresh or frozen).

5. Cut into portions and serve.

Enjoy!

Tex-Mex Shepherd’s Pie (Simplified)

As basic as Shepherd Pie is, I was able to make it simpler and quicker with the use of boxed potatoes. Just follow the package directions to make about 3 cups for an 8X8 dish, but for but when I use a 9X13, I find that it needs about 7 cups. I think I have the prep time down to about 15-20 minutes, then 30-45 minutes in the oven at 350F.

Notes on the cheese: smoked provolone, cheddar, spicy pepper jack – something with some zip. The mixed bag I use had some mozzarella in it, which made it tricky, but still worked. I would tend to avoid it as it made the mashed potatoes stringy and difficult to deal with.

Basic Directions:

1. Prepared boxed potatoes as per manufacturer directions. When potatoes are done, stir in cheese.

3. While waiting for potato water to boil, brown gound beef with a little oil until no longer pink, seasoning to taste taco seasoning.

Assembly:

4. Bake in 350F oven for 30-45 minutes corn to be heated through (if using canned) or cooked (if using fresh or frozen).

5. Cut into portions and serve.

Enjoy!

"She… worketh willingly with her hands." Proverbs 31:13

A bit about me

Welcome to my cooking blog! I have many areas of interest as a Christian wife and home schooling mother: Christian devotionals for ladies, poetry, website design, digital photography, a home business (sewing); but this blog is dedicated to honoring the Lord in the work for our families in the day to day meals.